News

School alerts for high air pollution days

GB News: 30/01/2018 - 10:31

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has revealed that schools in the capital will receive an alert every time air pollution in the capital is set to pose an acute risk to health.

The system, which is part of a renewed push to highlight the scale of the London’s toxic pollution crisis, is already in place for train stations and bus stops, and, following the inclusion of schools, will also be rolled out for GPs’ surgeries and care homes ‘in the near future’.

Air pollution is reported to cause approximately 40,000-50,000 early deaths a year in the UK, with health experts warning that the young are particularly vulnerable. In London, it is said that every person in the capital is breathing air that exceeds global guidelines for one of the most dangerous toxic particles.

Khan said: “I want more Londoners to engage with air quality issues so I am sure the new guidance that I have published today will encourage people to learn more about the air they breathe and what they can do to improve it.”